UK Bound: Scotland (Inverness – Day 1)

I do not recall why we thought we needed four days in Inverness. Yet we managed to fill them. First we had to get there. I was horrified to discover that not only were passengers not wearing masks at the Birmingham Airport they were not required to do so on the flight either. We did. We splurged by taking a taxi to where we had to check in for our room. Then a five minute walk to the actual place. First glances of Inverness, a lovely city dotted with many old buildings, and of course Inverness Castle high on its hill above the river. Nearly everywhere was within walking distance. An evening stroll to find dinner took us over the bridge where we found River Grill. Very expensive (£18.95 just for me) but a good meal. I was beginning to seriously worry about my remaining funds and was grateful for my credit card despite the horrendous exchange rate. We picked up breakfast and snack items for the next day at the Co-op.

We had booked a 12 hour bus tour that would leave at 8:00AM to the Highlands and the Isle of Skye the next morning. Thank goodness we were told about The Bakery, just five minutes from our room and on the way to the bus station, we picked up goodies and excellent coffees. This would become my routine for the next three mornings, pastries and coffees shortly after 6:00AM while my daughter slept in or prepared for the day. Perfect way to start each day. Each morning would be approximately £5 – £6 each for a latte, a breakfast pastry (or two) and buns of some sort for our lunch. This worked out well as it meant no searching for a restaurant or such. We had the foresight to buy cheese and some other easily packed lunch type food. Inverness has some lovely spots for impromptu picnics.

There are not enough words in my vocabulary to describe the scenery, the sensations, the commentary during those 12 hours. Our guide/driver regaled us with funny stories, fascinating history, somber facts, a little Gaelic and enough stops of historic and scenic interest to satisfy all of us while secretly wanting more. Scotland is indeed a beautiful country with so much history within its hills, glens, crags, lakes and rivers it is no wonder that poets, writers, explorers and now tourists are drawn to it. Our 12 hour appetizer whetted my thirst and an appfor more.

There was so much to see that I often kept my phone in my pocket to better enjoy everything. We returned just shy of 8:00PM, tired, full of wonder, ready to sleep to be up early for another day of exploring. Did we have dinner? I think we found something on our last stop before Inverness, or possibly that was when we had our buns and cheese. We were so full with our adventures that food seemed a secondary thought.

My first view of Scotland from the plane!

Urquhart Castle on the Strone, Loch Ness, Glenmoriston. Not too far out of Inverness. Sadly not one of the main stops for exploration. Archeological research suggests this may have been an early Pictish 700 – 800 AD stronghold. Myth suggests that St. Columba baptized the dying nobleman Emchath there around 580 AD.
From 1200 – 1692 the castle was in a constant tug of war between Scotland and England before finally having its gates blown up in 1692 by the last soldiers marching out. 500 years of history with the Loch Ness monster, Robert the Bruce, King James (VII of Scotland & II of England) – not very original – Mary II & William of Orange, & the Jacobite uprising are all connected to the crumbling site.

Kyle -Glenshiel. The rocky hills were a complete surprise. The clouds, mist & light rain were not. At one point it got heavier. However, being west coast BC women we were prepared. Unlike many of our fellow pThe lush, dark, velvet greens of the landscape nearly invite you to wrap yourself in the blanket of land to curl up with the land.

Kyle – Eilean Donan Castle. (Donan Island Castle) This one is open to the public as well as remaining a private home. A smart financial move! My daughter asked why castles in Scotland were built close to waterways whereas the castles in Wales (and England) tended to be up out of the way hills. No answer. However, considering how remote the Scottish castles were perhaps they did not worry about land attacks. History does suggest that building on a waterway was actually a strategic move.
£9.00 for a senior to visit inside! We did. I was very impressed with how they displayed the kitchen using life-size depictions of kitchen maids, cooks, and very lifelike foodstuffs that would have been served. They have worked carefully to preserve the spaces and provide information in a tasteful manner.

The first fortification was most likely build in the 1300s. Over the centuries it went through various modifications and uses. The castle was used by the Jacobites in the late 1600s – 1719 when the English overwhelmed the garrison inside and discovered 343 barrels of gunpowder. With 14 foot deep walls the English had not been able to put much of a dent in the castle – numbers of men first overwhelmed the castle – the discovery of so much gunpowder already only need a match.

After 200 hundred years of sitting in ruins the island and remains of the castle were bought in 1911. It took 20 years, using surviving ground plans, to rebuild the castle. I always find it interesting that despite being destroyed so many castles have plans available!

Complete with a Juliet balcony.

And a lakeside patio I would be ecstatic to sit at each morning sipping my coffee. For nearly ten minutes I was the only person to have discovered this spot. Absolutely no sign it is ever used by the present owners. However, they do rent out some of the castle for weddings.

Crossing over to Isle of Skye – River Sligachan. Just a taste of the landscapes we would see.

But first a stop in Portree. A bustling tourist stop. With several places to find a bite to eat, a chance to stretch the legs, and do a little shopping (I bought a card) Lunch at Birch, fantastic coffee, and a delicious open face sourdough sandwich. £13.50

The sun even came out and presented us with blue skies. As my daughter said, once an island girl always an island girl. Of course we were drawn to the fishing boats out in the harbour.

Kilt Rock in the distance and Mealt Falls. We had a wonderful half hour tramping about the cliff side. Carefully. With a boundary ensuring stupid trampers do not fall off.

Another waterfall nearby Kilt Rock. Very far down. They have a lookout to walk out on to get those great photos. I somehow managed to refrain from crawling back once I realized how high above the falls I was.

A stop at Carbost on the return trip. It has taken a long time for me to feel comfortable having my photo taken. Granted, I tend to delete many of them. The backdrop of the Highlands makes anyone look good!

Strome Ferry. Our guide told us that on the other side is a trail that the Scottish hairy cows (aka coos) take but that’s another tour. I had been hoping to see one before we were back in Inverness.

Can it get any greener? (A bit pixelated photo – the lushness was dangerously inviting)

I refused to get much closer. Below are the remains of where mined slate (?) arrived before being shipped out. The slate (?) was mined on an opposite hill, put on tracks then winched down to the water. Forgive the (?) but I cannot find anything about this to confirm what I thought we were told so it may have been something else.

A calm lake and silent rowboats. I could sense the gentle rocking.

Colourful houses/businesses along the harbour of Portree and a church above. We had intended to check out the latter but spent too much time admiring the harbour front.

We saw a lot of sheep dotting the hills, and regular dairy cows, but no hairy coos.